Global Development.

It’s conventional wisdom that small and medium enterprises are key to economic growth in emerging markets. This is particularly true in Africa, where local SMEs dominate the business landscape, and a fast-growing young population needs the services, jobs and economic growth they provide. But as Trevor Hambayi at Development Finance Associates explains, these enterprises face several unique challenges – starting with a lack of finance. He explores the problem, and some solutions that could help unlock the SME sector’s potential.

"It sounds so simple: Everyone gets access to financial services and – presto – the foundations for the SGDs will be laid." That's the key message Phil Mader and Maren Duvendack took away from World Bank economist Leora Klapper's recent NextBillion post. But that rosy scenario, they say, bears no resemblance to reality. In fact, according to their exhaustive new review of existing research, the inconvenient truth is that financial inclusion is not accelerating progress toward the SDGs – and isn't even fundamental for attaining them.

Brian Boland, co-founder of The Delta Fund - a donor-advised fund focused on poverty alleviation and justice reform - pushes back on a recent critique of development impact bonds. That critique, published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review by Kevin Starr, took DIBs to task for high costs and questioned whether the investor returns are justifiable. Boland argues that DIBs are in their infancy, investors are already learning a lot from early pilots, and any pioneering new system requires time before it can scale.

I think the basic fact that we’ve made progress in recent decades is important. Politics and the global economy are dismal places, especially if you only see them through the lens of news coverage. It’s easy to become fatalistic.

The partnership raises serious issues that must be addressed by WFP — who appear to be taking the right steps toward transparency. But this controversy is bigger than just one private sector agreement by one agency — and it should serve as a challenge and an opportunity for the entire humanitarian sector.

Working with outside vendors in information and communications technologies is a necessary part of global development work – and when done well, it can provide a major boost to an organization’s mission. But there are good and bad ways to select and work with vendors, and many NGOs and social enterprises don’t recognize the importance of choosing the right approach. Nathan Barthel at Catholic Relief Services presents a list of “dos and don’ts” for development organizations to keep in mind when working with vendors – essential reading for anyone planning an ICT4D project.

In his thought-provoking image, Hesham Fathy shows a young Sudanese woman looking pensively into the horizon as she leans against a fence, which could either trap her or free her. Despite the poverty of the surrounding landscape, she holds a smartphone, giving her access to a world beyond her own.

Of the surprises they’ve been confronted with along their journey to philanthropy, the Gates write: “Some worry us. Others inspire us. All of them are prodding us to action. We hope they do the same for you, because that’s how the world gets better.”